Testing Love
by BunBunBabe
Summary: Sequel to Gravity Defying Love:: Peter and Neal's love is put to the test. With the return of Neal's parents will their love make it through their newest cat and mouse game? Warning Neal and Peter slash. If u don't like don't read. :: R&R please::
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Forged Bonds**

Neal reached into his pocket and pulled out a key, he placed the key in the lock and turned it. The lock clicked open. Neal turned the door handle and pushed the door open. "Peter, I'm back… did you miss me?" Neal asked as he walked into the cabin.

Peter looked at the ex con and rolled his eyes "You were only gone for ten minutes that wasn't long enough for someone to be missed." He remarked as he got up from the table he was sitting at with the rest of the team.

The group had been holed up in the cabin for three days on a tip that something big was going to go down. Tensions were growing in the confined space. Neal's boredom had started to get on Peter's nerves. The senior agent had snapped at Neal over tapping his pen or walking around the room, even taking a nap. Neal was his responsibility and even though he was needed incase authenticity was questioned the ex con was driving the agents crazy.

"All right lets all take another break" Peter said as he got up from his chair and stretched his back cracked. He pointed at Neal and waved him over with a finger. Neal gave a small smirk as he followed his handler back outside with a small saunter.

When they were alone Peter turned around to look at the FBI's pet con, a title Neal wasn't fond of. Peter on the other hand enjoyed the way Neal would bristle at the name. "We've been working for days on a tip that doesn't seem to be going anywhere. We've got orders to go back to the city if nothing happens soon" Peter said with a sigh. Reaching out Neal grabbed Peter's tie and gave it a tug till they were almost nose to nose "Neal let me go… before the others see this"

Neal gave a loud sigh "I really thought this would pan out" he replied leaning against the wall of the cabin and letting go of Peter's tie. Giving a pout Neal looked at his partner "Look I thought the source of the information was credible. I'll be more careful next time." Neal added with another pout hoping to win his partner over.

Peter knew that look all too well it was the same look that had convinced him of looking into the tip that had them currently sitting in a cabin in the small town in upstate New York. "No, I fell for that once before but not this time. We're working and there will be no actions that can get in the way" he said with an authoritative tone.

Lauren walked outside and looked at the two men by the side of the cabin being a woman she could sense the tension between her boss and the con, it wasn't normal work tension it was rawer. "Hey boss you drew the short straw to go get take out this time" she said handing the car keys over and going back inside.

Giving a loud sigh Peter looked at the younger man who had given up his pout for something more seductive. "You stay here, and if you move from the yard I swear you're going regret it" he said. Neal's smirk only grew wider "That sounds very tempting, but I'll hold off on finding out what the punishment would be for another time. I promise I won't take a step over the property line for anything." Neal said raising his hands in defense.

Nodding his head a bit Peter headed for the black sedan and got in he watched Neal walk back into the cabin before he took off into town. It wasn't a very long ride to get to town from the rented cabin.

After he waited at the only Chinese food place in town for forty minutes Peter drove back to the cabin when he got there Neal was outside waiting for him. As he parked the car Neal moved from his spot and helped Peter bring the food inside.

"Anything happen?" He asked the two agents watching the monitor of the cabin next door. Lauren and Jones shook their heads. "Nothing, this was a bust we might as well start packing up" Jones said removing his headphones.

Neal finished unpacking the bag he brought in "We still have some time, let's not call it quits just yet. I mean you do want to catch this guy don't you?" he asked as he grabbed one of the containers and a pair of chopsticks. "This is rice; does anyone have the sweet and sour chicken?" Neal asked as he started to root through the other bag that Peter was holding.

Peter put the bag down and grabbed the chicken and handed it to Neal "Here… Jones, Cruz you two grab your food I'll watch the monitors with Neal for a while."Peter said as he took over one of the chairs. Neal parked himself in the other chair; he ate quietly as he watched the suspected fence walking around the yard.

"He's waiting for someone to show up he's anxious, look how he paces around." Neal remarked as he stirred the noodles around the container. Peter looked at his partner "Quit playing with your food and eat" he said moving his chair a bit closer to Neal.

"Get a room" Lauren called. Neal looked behind him when he realized that the other agent was talking to the television in the other room. Peter glanced at the con before looking back at the screen. "Well we found out who he's been waiting for." He said pointing toward the screen with his fork.

Neal looked and saw the other two agents come in. Neal watched as the fence led a small group of men into the house. "We need eyes in the house, and I know how to get a glimpse in that house." Neal said as he got up from the chair. "I need one of the take out bags and the phone books from the other room" Neal said as he started to walk around.

Jones watched as Neal rushed around the cabin quickly gathering everything together. "So you're going to impersonate a delivery man?" Peter asked with a smirk. Neal looked at himself "What, should I be dressed differently?" Neal asked looking at his clothes.

Lauren chuckled "You look more con artist than a delivery man, but we can fix that" she said leaving the room and coming back in with a large band tee shirt and a pair of jeans. "Now change" she said throwing the clothes into Neal's arms.

Neal felt his cheeks heat up a bit before he left the room and changed clothes. When he returned he fidgeted a bit. "These pants are a bit tight and why a band shirt?" he asked running his hand through his hair.

"It's almost perfect" Lauren said walking over and mussing up Neal's hair before she handed him a stick of gum. Peter bit his lip as he watched Neal leave the cabin with the false take out and get into the car and driving off.

"All right there's Neal" Jones said as the con walked up to the front door and knocked. "He actually looks the part." Lauren remarked with a chuckle.

Neal waited as the front door opened "Hi, I got your delivery from Peking Chinese… you ordered the duck and the beef" Neal said as he chewed the gum between words.

The man who opened the door looked at Neal "We didn't order any take out, now get lost" he said as pulled a gun. Knowing not to push his luck Neal looked at the receipt on the bag "Oh my mistake, I got the numbers wrong. Sorry about that" Neal said leaving quickly before things turned bad. When he got back to the cabin he was staying in he let out the breath he was holding.

Peter was outside waiting for Neal to get out of the car "Your nuts you know that, you could have been shot. Haven't you pulled enough stupid stunts in the last year and a half?"Peter asked.

The ex con smirked as he walked back inside with Peter hot on his tail. "Damn it Neal don't act so calm." Peter said as he grabbed Neal by the arm and pulled him into the back bedroom. Neal sat on the bed silently as Peter reprimanded him for being wreckless.

* * *

An hour passed before Neal was able to speak again "Peter I caught a glimpse of the paintings there are seven of them and from a distance they look real but I'll need a closer look." Neal said lying back on the bed.

Peter sighed "Change your clothes and get some rest I have some phone calls to make" he said as he unlocked the door and went out to the living room.

Neal chuckled as he went to his private room to change, when he was back in his own clothes he walked back out to where the others were. As he was walking down the hallway it dawned on him that he had seen the paintings once before. "Peter… I think we have a problem…" he said realizing where he had seen those paintings.

"What's wrong?" Peter asked slowly getting up from the chair he was sitting in, the tone Neal used worried him. "Those paintings are ones you've seen too, the hallway in my parent's home" he said taking a seat. Lauren and Jones looked at each other "I thought you said your parents were in France?" Lauren asked as she saw Neal pale a bit. "They were… at least I thought they were. Peter if my parents are around then I just messed all this up." Neal said running his hands through his hair.

Jones walked by the windows and looked out for any passing cars "You're talking about the same man that kidnapped Peter and broke your wrist?" Jones asked both Neal and Peter nodded at the same time.

"It doesn't matter anyway they're all gone they hightailed it out of that place as soon as Neal left. They're in the wind with those paintings." Lauren said pointing to the monitors showing an empty driveway. Peter sighed "All right lets pack it all up, we'll leave in the morning." He said getting up from the chair he was sitting in.

Lauren and Jones both sighed and began to break down the equipment and put them away. Peter walked over to Neal and looked him over. "You going to be all right?" he asked quietly. Neal gave a small smile "Yeah I'm fine, I'm going to turn in early" he said giving a false yawn before walking back into his room.

Neal couldn't sleep when he was sure everyone else was asleep he went outside and sat on the back stairs the cool air making him shiver.

"I thought I heard someone walking around" Peter remarked as he put a blanket over Neal's shoulders and sat down beside his pet con. "Are you still having the nightmares?" he asked putting his arm around Neal. The silver moonlight lit the yard up with a haunting beauty. Neal loved the moonlight it made everything in the world seem magical.

The crickets chirped loudly in the night, Neal pulled the blanket closer to his body. "Yeah, but they aren't as bad as they were a year ago. I talked to doctor Young and I still have the nightmares. I can't get on a plane without worrying about if it's going to be blown up. I've been looking over my shoulder more than Moz." Neal remarked letting his head find Peter's shoulder for comfort.

Peter kept his arm around Neal and rubbed his arm softly "Everything will be fine Neal" he whispered softly. Neal smiled "The view out here is wonderful" Peter said pulling the younger man closer. "Thanks you know I try hard to look my best" Neal said in a joking tone. Peter rolled his eyes. "You're very funny now you should get inside and get some slee…" Peter was cut off by a pair of warm lips.

When he managed to pull away Peter sighed "I knew if I told you not to it would only be a matter of time before you did it" he said looking at the ex con. Neal only smiled and moved closer for warmth. "You liked it anyway…you can't deny it, I'm going back inside maybe now I can sleep… then again you have the biggest bed here we could share again." Neal offered as he tried to worm his way into an invitation.

After a few minutes of saying no Peter realized it was pointless Neal would sneak in anyway. "Fine but you make one little noise and I kick you out" he said as he got back up and crept inside with Neal to his room. The younger man crawled into bed and got comfortable, in a matter of seconds he was out like a light.

Peter chuckled and locked the bedroom door _I had a feeling all he needed to do was talk about his problems…now he'll sleep through the night._ Peter thought as he got into bed and pulled the blankets up.

Neal rolled over and snuggled up against Peter, he liked the feeling of having Peter close to him.

* * *

By late afternoon the next day the three FBI agents and one consultant had arrived back in the city. After returning the equipment and writing up their reports they were allowed to leave. Peter wanted to get home to Elizabeth and enjoy the next day off.

"Burke a word before you go?" Hughes asked looking past Peter and locking eyes with Neal. When Reese learned that the ex con working as a consultant in his division was the son of the man he chased for years he decided to watch Neal even closer than before.

Neal knew that Hughes didn't just not like him there was downright hate that came off him, the older agent would watch him every chance he got waiting for him to do something. "Peter I'll just wait at my desk for you" Neal said parking himself in his chair.

Peter walked up into Hughes's office and stood there as his boss sat down. "I hope you're keeping a close eye on him. Now that we know who he's connected to I want him monitored even closer." Hughes said

"Neal is not like that he wants nothing to do with his father so there is nothing to worry about and I have been keeping a closer eye on him sir. Now I have to be going Elizabeth is waiting and I still have to bring Neal home" Peter said as he got the green light to leave. The young con jumped up and followed behind Peter as they left the building "So what are you doing on your day off tomorrow?" Neal asked as he put his hands in his pockets.

"Probably just unwind and relax what about you?" he asked looking at the con. Neal smiled "I'm going to a wine tasting and while I'm there I might steal a few priceless works of art…kidding" Neal said as they left the office.

Peter followed behind Neal till they got to his car. After a short ride Neal sighed "I forgot how short this ride was" Neal said in a soft voice. Peter looked at the ex con before swooping in and capturing Neal's lips. Neal's blue eyes closed till he realized he need air, he knew if he had been standing up his knees would have given out. Pulling away Neal gave a small smile, when he climbed out of the car he smacked his head on the frame.

"I didn't know I could make the great Neal Caffrey turn into this" Peter said chuckling. Neal rubbed his head before talking "Only you could do this to me. I'll see you Thursday morning" he said closing the door. Neal stood outside and watched Peter drive off. Neal walked inside thinking of how he could innocently flirt with Peter and make sure no one else noticed it.

The sun had started to go down, Neal sat out on the terrace as he watched the moon slowly grow brighter, that night he knew his nightmares would be back and there was no one there to hold him. After going back inside and putting a warm jacket on Neal went back out and sat on one of the lounge chairs and looked at the moon. The cool air of the night mixed with the warmth of the jacket and lulled Neal into a sleepy haze.

Neal woke from another nightmare he shivered when he realized how cold it got, walking into his apartment he stripped out of his day clothes and put his warmest sweatpants on and climbed under the warm blankets of his bed. Sleep overtook Neal again once he was warm in bed his dreams for once had decided not to be cruel.


	2. Chapter 2

**(Read and review please people and no flaming please this story has slash so if you don't like don't read and disclaimer time if I owned this show you know I would do so much to it)**

**Chapter 2: Shattered Bonds**

Neal woke early he decided to skip the wine tasting he decided to walk around his two mile radius. He dressed warmly and left June's lavish home. As he walked down the street Neal remembered Elizabeth had a job in the area walking toward the small art gallery he walked inside and saw his partner's wife. "Morning Elizabeth, it's nice to see you in my neck of the woods so to speak. If you're free at lunch time I know a really nice place. My treat since I kept Peter busy for the last few days." Neal said with a smile.

"Lunch with you sounds wonderful, I'll be done here around eleven then we'll go, can I trust you not to steal anything?" she asked with a smile. Neal broke into a smile "You can trust me nothing here holds a candle to my wants." Neal said.

Elizabeth smirked "No that would be my husband." She said quietly as she walked past Neal a smile on her lips. The younger man flushed a bit. _Even though I know she knows it still makes me flush._ He thought as he walked around the gallery, he frequented the place enough to know the owners.

By eleven Elizabeth had finished, she left the gallery with Neal and they got into her car. Neal gave her directions to the restaurant. She pulled up to a stop light and looked at the younger man who was lost in thought. "Neal you don't have to be so nervous, I don't mind your relationship with Peter I already told him that he can be with you so everything is all right." She said with a smile.

Neal smiled as he shifted in his seat a bit "Thanks Elizabeth, it's just Peter was there…he gave me a second chance at life, he helped me through a lot so I guess it's only natural this would happen." Neal said with a small smile as the light turned green.

Elizabeth's car pulled forward into the four way intersection. Before anyone was able to react the car was T-boned on the driver's side. Neal felt the car spin when he opened his eyes the windshield had been blown out; the side curtain airbags were covering the windows. Neal looked out the front at the crowd that had gathered on the sidewalks.

Groaning loudly Neal looked over at his partner's wife "Elizabeth… wake up…please for Peter's sake" Neal said softly as he unbuckled himself. _Peter is going to kill me, I'm nothing more than his responsibility… this is his wife. _Neal thought as he forced his door open. When he got out of the car he sat down and waited for the paramedics.

* * *

After the firemen and paramedics arrived Neal sat silently as the paramedics began to check him over. When he was cleared he pulled out his phone and called the two people he knew could save his skin from Peter.

"Jones, can you and Lauren meet me and Elizabeth at Mercy General… and can you call Peter? It was a car accident." Neal said as he watched the firemen use the Jaws of Life to pull Elizabeth from the car. "Can you come to the hospital first before you call him?" Neal asked as he got into the ambulance.

Neal watched Elizabeth and the paramedics. He could hear talking and the sirens but it sounded faded into the background. Neal felt his body go into autopilot, he climbed out of the ambulance and let himself get pushed into a waiting room. People spoke to him but Neal couldn't register any of the words spoken to him.

Sinking into a chair Neal felt a hand shake him; it took him a moment to lift his head and see Jones and Cruz looking at him. Before he opened his mouth he saw Peter run in and come at him and grab him by the front of his clothes.

"Peter I'm so sorry… I" Neal was cut off by a rough shove.

Peter stared at the ex con "Don't start, my wife is in the hospital because of you, why is it every woman in your life either ends up dead or in prison. I'm surprised Kate lasted as long as she did. First you get her killed and now you nearly get my wife killed. I should have never let you out of prison" Peter said standing before Neal

Neal looked at his partner his anger starting to grow "Don't you dare talk about Kate…she was a great woman…and Elizabeth reminds me of her" he said trying to reign in his emotions.

"Oh really, so Elizabeth is either going to end up dead or in jail, because you're like a bad luck charm for women. You're a two bit con that wouldn't last a day without your good looks. Now get out of sight and leave me and my wife alone." Peter said his voice filled with anger, he knew that he was pouring salt in old wounds but the truth he knew hurt.

Before the other agents could step in Neal let his pain and anger take over. Balling his hand into a fist he punched Peter hard in the face, in the chaos Neal slipped out of the waiting room.

Lauren walked over and helped Peter to sit down "Could we get a doctor in here?" she called; Peter's nose was gushing blood. "No offense sir but…never mind" she said when she saw the look in Peter's eyes. Jones began to follow Neal, when a gurney came through the hall he watched Neal duck out the door. Giving a sigh he knew that if Neal went too far he would be picked up and brought to the FBI building.

* * *

Neal walked till he came to the edge of his radius he pulled his phone out and called Mozzie. "Moz… I need his number, I know what said, just give me the number" Neal said as he walked around.

Mozzie sighed over the phone before giving Neal the phone number "Neal will you tell me what's wrong?"He asked only to be met with a dial tone. Sighing loudly he hung up his phone.

After dialing the new number Neal waited for the other line to pick up "Grant this is Neal Caffrey…yes crash the system I don't care how you do it just do it…Mozzie will pay you after I leave." Neal said as he watched the tracker, when the light went off he gave a sad smile "Well there is no turning back now. You earned your money Grant, thanks for everything" Neal said as he hung the phone up.

When he found an empty alley Neal pulled a knife out of his pocket, he has started carrying a knife in case he was ever kidnapped or tied up be other con artists. Taking a moment to go over his thoughts Neal looked at tracker. _This is nothing more than a way for the FBI to keep track of me. _Neal thought as he cut the anklet off and left it beside his phone under an old scrap of cardboard.

Neal walked out of the alley "No feds yet…" he mumbled as he hailed a cab and rode to Mozzie's storage. When he got there he looked at his friend "Moz I have to go, don't stop me… I promise I'll call you when I'm settled." Neal said as he grabbed a passport for an alias he never used.

Mozzie looked at his friend "You realize that if you get caught your going back to jail, if you go back now then the sentence might not be so bad" he said offering a solution.

"I need your phone" Neal said grabbing the other man's phone, he called the airport and purchased a ticket to Paris. "Moz I'm going to miss you, but I will call you I promise." he said as he hugged Mozzie goodbye. After a few minutes Neal left the storage building and hailed a cab.

Once he buckled his seatbelt Neal sighed. "JFK please" he said looking down at his feet, his leg felt lighter without the anklet.

* * *

Lauren cringed as she watched the doctor reset Peter's nose, when her phone began to ring she turned away and answered the phone. "Yes… okay I'll tell him" Lauren said hanging up the phone. She bit her lip as she turned around. "Um boss…the tracking system went down twenty minutes ago and when they got it running again Neal's tracker was the only one not transmitting.

Peter looked at the agent "And that's my problem why?" Peter asked as he bit back the pain. When the doctor was finished he left the three FBI agents alone. Peter looked at the other two agents. "I'm going to go sit with my wife and be with her. If you want to find Neal then go on I'm not stopping you." Peter said walking out of the room and finding his way to Elizabeth's room.

Elizabeth looked at the door her smile faded when she saw Peter's expression. "What happened? I was the one in the car accident… oh no is Neal all right?" she asked worried that something terrible had happened.

Peter sat down before speaking "I may have lost my temper and said things to Neal that I didn't exactly mean. He told me he was going to a wine tasting and when Lauren called and said you were in a car accident with Neal I thought he had done something stupid again and got you involved again." Peter said taking his wife's hand. "And Neal punched me and took off. Also when the tracking system crashed and then rebooted his is the only tracker they can't find right now. It was probably damaged in the accident, Neal is at June's right now I'm sure of it" He added.

Jones knocked on the doorframe "Sorry to interrupt but we found Neal's tracker…a few blocks from here along with his cell phone. It looks like he ran… I mean, why wouldn't he? after what you said to him." Jones said.

"Peter you have to go find him before someone else does, you know that if someone else finds him they won't be gentle with him." Elizabeth said taking her husband's hand. "He couldn't have gotten too far right?" she asked

Letting out a loud sighed Peter looked out the window at the city "This is Neal we're talking about; it took him less than hour to get out of jail and get back to his old apartment. Jones how long was the system down?" Peter asked looking at the other agent.

"Um forty minutes maybe a little longer… we tracked the last two calls on Neal's phone to a phone registered to Dante Haversham that was a twenty second call then Neal called a man named James Grant. He's been arrested a few times for computer fraud. During the call is when the system went down." Jones said keeping his voice down.

Peter chewed on his bottom lip for a moment "I think I know how to find Neal, El do you have Mozzie's number?" Peter asked handing his phone over to his wife.

Elizabeth dialed the phone and waited a moment "Hi Mozzie, Neal and I were in a car accident, no I'm fine the car was totaled though. Can I ask you something, have you seen Neal? He ran from the hospital and the doctors didn't get a chance to examine him they're worried he could be hurt internally." She lied as she looked at her husband.

Mozzie paused over the phone "Well I'm sure the suit is there so this could be a trap, but Neal was acting strange when he called and when he showed up here. He was here about thirty minutes ago. He took some money I was saving for him for just such an occasion and he took off" Mozzie said as he walked around his storage locker.

"Mozzie where did Neal go with the money?" she asked holding her hand up to stop Peter from taking the phone. "This is very important Mozzie, if you know where Neal is you have to tell me" Elizabeth said her tone getting more worried.

The older man sighed "He bought a plane ticket and he's heading to London, he took an old passport out of a box and he took off. Just don't tell him that I told you" Mozzie said before hanging up.

Elizabeth looked at Peter and the other FBI agents "He's flying to London" she said

"London? Look into that, see if he has any connections in London" Peter said looking at his team. The two agents nodded in unison and headed for the door. Before they reached the door, Lauren stopped for a moment and looked back "You coming boss?" she asked

Peter stood there and looked at his wife "I doubt Neal wants to see me but that really doesn't matter. El are you going to be all right by yourself?" Peter asked. Elizabeth smiled "I'll be fine I'm in a hospital and if I get lonely I'll call my sister." She said smiling. "Are you sure you'll be able to find Neal?" She asked

"Honey I'm the one who caught him twice I can find him, he has multiple passports we have them all under watch and we would be alerted if any of them were being used." Peter said trying to avoid chuckling since his nose still hurt. "We have to go to the office now, but I'll call you later to check on you" Peter said smiling.

* * *

"Thank you Mr. Dior, your plane will be boarding shortly." The woman behind the counter said with a smile. Neal gave a weak smile back before moving from the counter; Neal knew that the waiting period between boarding the plane, it was the time where the feds could figure out his plan and catch him.

Neal wanted to pace but he realized that it would make him look suspicious. "Flight two seventy-nine to Paris is now boarding. Vol de deux soixante dix-neuf à Paris est désormais d'embarquement" The voice on P.A. said. Neal looked around once more before he walked down the tunnel.

When he stepped on the plane he took in a deep breath as he was led to his first class seat. "May I please have a glass of white wine once we're in the air?" Neal requested as he took his seat. The stewardess smiled "Of course sir" she said as she went off to help others. _Its better this way, Peter and Elizabeth won't ever have to deal with me… Peter made it clear he didn't want me around…I just wish that he didn't play with my heart the way he did._ Neal thought as he looked out the window.

Watching for any signs of agents Neal held his breath as people walked past him, Neal began to tap his foot. When the plane took to the sky Neal sighed as the stewardess brought him his drink. She was a sweet girl as she attempted to flirt with Neal.

He knew she was trying but he wasn't in the mood. "You're a sweet girl but I just got out of a relationship so just please go." Neal said in a cool tone. He didn't want to be mean but his heart wasn't in it to be nice to anyone.

Neal watched the people around him as he sipped the wine._ Now that I'm no longer the pet con of the FBI I can think like a con again. _Neal thought as he tried to imagine a job that he would want to pull off when he got to his new life. He knew it would be a long plane right and the only way to combat a long plane ride was to sleep. Looking out the window Neal watched the clouds float by the plane.

When the stewardess came around Neal was shaken from his thoughts. "What would you like for dinner sir?" the woman asked. "I'm not hungry, but I would like to know how much longer till we land?" Neal asked with a small smile.

"We will be landing in three hours sir" she said smiling at Neal. The ex con gave a small smile in return before looking back out the window. _So I've been out of the city for four hours they must be looking for me now._ Neal thought a smile gracing his lips when he thought of the FBI agents running around trying to track him.

* * *

"It's been four hours, and there are no contacts that we know about in London" Jones said working on his seventh cup of coffee. He had been searching for any connections Neal had to London being person or artwork.

Peter paced the conference room before it dawned on him; he began to laugh "Neal isn't going to London. Jones, get the airport security cameras for the main doors and terminal. Neal's aliases didn't trip any alarms so he used one we never knew about… I want the names of every male fitting Neal's description boarding a plane to Paris." Peter said as he watched the security camera footage being uploaded onto the flat screen on the wall.

Lauren began to play the footage and stopped it the moment she spotted Neal "There he is he entered the terminal at two-thirty which means we have to find out which flight was his." She said as she brought up more footage of the terminal hoping to spot Neal again.

"He caught a three o'clock flight to Paris; it's obvious that without any bags it took half the time to get through security and catch a plane so quickly, somebody look up all three o'clock flights from JFK to London with a connection to Paris or direct flights to Paris." Peter said

Jones began typing in information "Okay we have two flights one to London and there are seventeen men matching Neal's description but no Neal. Which means he's on the flight directly to Paris, there is no sign yet in business or coach" he said as he kept searching the lists

Peter chuckled "Just skip to first class, Neal would fly first class no matter what I would put money on it" Peter said as he leaned back in his chair.

"All right in first class I have a Neal Dior, 32 of New York and the address is for an apartment building not far from here." Jones said as he put the information on the screen. Peter stood up and walked around the room for a moment. "He made this choice off the top of his head, so he must know where to go." Peter said looking out over the city.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Puzzled Bonds

Neal stepped off the plane and walked into the terminal he yawned as he stumbled to the payphones. Charles de Gaulle Airport was a grad airport it took Neal a few minutes to find the phones when he got there he dialed the operator. "Opérateur, Bordeaux Aquitaine Dior résidence" Neal said yawning a bit as he leaned against the wall.

"Oui, monsieur, voulez-vous que je vous connectez?" The operator asked as she pulled up the number. Neal gave another yawn. "Oui" he yawned as he looked around for a place to buy coffee. When the line began to ring Neal stood up straighter and waited for the other line to pick up.

"Bonjour…" a tired voice said over the phone. Neal gave a tiny yawn "Mom… it's me" Neal said looking at the large clock on the wall opposite of where he was standing.

Natalia looked at the clock on the nightstand she had been up reading for some time. "Neal what's wrong?"She asked in a worried tone. Pausing for a second the fleeing con looked around. "Look I can't stay on the line too long but I'm in Paris and I'm heading to your place. I'll be there in about six hours." Neal remarked the jetlag starting to dig deeper into his mind. He wanted to collapse into a chair and sleep he forgot how much flying took out of him.

"You should check into a hotel and come when you're awake." Natalia said. Neal looked at his watch it was still set to Eastern Standard Time, his watch said ten but the clocks around him read four. "I can pass out on the train, I should keep moving I'm not exactly here on FBI time" he said lowering his voice a bit. _It's only a matter of time before he's forced to contact Interpol, so I should leave Paris before I'm spotted._ "I'll be there, in a little over five hour's mom, love you" Neal said as he hung up.

He dragged his body to a small café and ordered the biggest coffee he could. When he had taken the first few gulps he started to feel more awake. Blinking his eyes a few times Neal felt better as he stood up. Making his way through the terminal Neal walked outside to the bustling sounds of the city, it had been years before he was in that very spot.

While trying to find a cab a town car pulled up, Neal stood frozen for a second till he saw the rear window slide down revealing his father. "Your mother called, she said you were back home now get in I have two tickets for the train, it's better than spending your money on a rental car." Lawrence said as he looked at his son.

Neal stood there for a moment remembering the last time he saw his father, figuring that getting into the car would be safer than standing there Neal walked around the car and got into the back seat. "It's good to see you again dad, it's been awhile" Neal said trying to make conversation for the car ride to the train station.

Lawrence looked at his son "No bags means that you came here in a hurry, I always told you getting involved with certain people would get your heart broken." He said looking out the window at the city of lights.

"Peter didn't want me around anymore so I decided to leave and make a new life here, that's what you and mom always wanted from me." Neal said keeping his distance between him and his father.

The car pulled up to the front door of the train station and parked. Neal let his father lead him through the nearly empty train station. When they caught their train Neal collapsed in his seat and tried to get comfortable. Lawrence sat beside his son and watched his son closely.

"Your mother and I were worried about you when we left, she wanted to bring you but it would have been too hard to move you without your passport." he said shifting in his seat. Neal looked over at his father "Mozzie had most of my things in storage for safe keeping when things were getting tight." Neal replied as the train began to move, soon the rocking of the train was starting to put him to sleep.

* * *

Peter sighed loudly "You guys should just go home it's getting late, I'm going to stay for a little while longer." he said looking at his empty coffee cup on the table.

Both agents looked at each other with a silent promise "We'll stay; you could use the extra help." Jones said as he pulled up a few more files up on his computer.

Lauren sat back in her chair "Neal's parents ran to France for a reason there is a connection there for them. So what's the connection to that country?" she asked looking at the hard copy files in front of her.

"That's it, Jones I want you to pull up all the records on Pierre LeBlanc. I want to know every place he hit." Peter said as he grabbed one of the pictures that fell out of a folder. One of the pictures was of Neal. Giving an inner sigh Peter sat down in a chair and looked at the picture of his former partner.

When the search was finished Jones looked up as he pulled the information onto the flat screen. "He started becoming an issue with us in nineteen seventy but that is probably not the first con he pull but it was more of a bigger deal than any street cons he might have pulled. For six years he pulled various cons around the city he hit numerous places and private homes for a while. He disappeared and then he took up residence in Paris. While in France he gained quite a name in a matter of months." Jones said still putting information up.

Peter shook his head a bit "Wait, Neal's mother is a jewel thief she went by the name le Papillion rouge. It's a fair bet they met in Paris so see if they did any jobs together and everywhere they hit and try to find a real name for Neal's mother." Peter said reclining back in his seat.

"They did two jobs together in Paris and look at this a marriage license in Paris for one Lawrence Caffrey the third and a Miss Natalia Dior married June twelfth nineteen-seventy–seven" Jones read.

Peter sat up "That would have made her four months pregnant with Neal, but Neal was born in here in the city which means they moved back here till the heat died down in France." Peter said looking at the screen.

"Do they own any property in Paris?" Lauren asked looking at her partner. Jones began a search. "If they do then it is under another name." he said coming up with nothing. Peter stood up and walked to the screen

"This marriage license isn't for Paris it's for Bordeaux. Look for property there" he said. Jones looked again "I have a place on the edge of the city it's a small vineyard." he said bringing the information up.

Before Peter was able to speak Hughes walked in "I just got off the plane from D.C. and I find you three still working" he said looking at them "So where is Caffrey?" Hughes asked seeing how the three agents avoided his gaze. Peter took in a deep breath "He ran away…to France to be with his parents. In the morning I'm going after him." Peter said.

Hughes stood there "No you won't, this isn't our jurisdiction anymore and after you stepped on Interpol's toes in Canada we're going to let them take care of this. I'm going to call them in a few hours." He said as he made his way toward the door.

"Sir it's my fault Neal ran away I should be there to apologize to him and talk him into coming back" Peter argued trying to make a point. "Neal once told me that if I was ever pulled from his case that he would never been caught. So if you remove me then you'll never catch him." he added as he walked up to his boss and stood before Hughes.

Reese sighed and looked at his friend. "As long as you work for us then you're going to follow the rules."Hughes said standing his ground. Peter looked around

"Well then I'm sorry but I have to do this even if it means losing my job." Peter said pulling his gun and badge out and placing them on the table and walking out of the office.

As he walked into the elevator Peter sighed as he leaned against the wall of the elevator till it stopped in the lobby. Peter made his way out of the building and into the night.

"Oh Elizabeth is going to murder me when she finds out about this" Peter mumbled to himself as he got into his car and drove back to the hospital. After an argument with one of the nurses about visiting hours Peter was finally allowed into Elizabeth's room.

He had hoped that Elizabeth would be asleep when he got there. "Oh you're still awake" Peter said taking a seat beside his wife's bed. Elizabeth looked at Peter she could tell something was wrong. "Honey what's wrong, I thought you were looking for clues about where Neal went?" she asked

"Hughes pulled us from the case, since Neal is no longer in America it is time for Interpol to take over. I know for a fact that if I'm not there Neal will disappear into the wind. So I may have quit my job." Peter said looking at his wife.

"You quit your job? Peter you are going to call the office and tell them you didn't quit." Elizabeth said as she sat up in bed.

Peter pulled out his phone and dialed the phone number "Lauren… could you tell Hughes that I didn't mean it when I said I quit it was just the exhaustion getting to me." Peter said.

In the background Peter could hear Jones complaining about something. "Just pass on the message and I'll be in tomorrow morning." Peter said before hanging up.

"Honey go home and take care of Satchmo and pick up the house a bit my sister is coming to visit till I can get around on my own." Elizabeth said smiling. Peter nodded his head

"I'll call you all day to make sure you're all right." Peter said as he got up from his chair and gave Elizabeth a small kiss. He left the hospital and went home. After letting Satchmo eat and taking him for a small walk Peter returned home and retired for the evening.

* * *

Neal woke to the sounds of the train pulling into the station; the sun had risen in the sky. Sitting up Neal stretched as he stood up and walked off the train with his father. It took him a moment to let his eyes adjust to the sunlight.

"I never got to ask, what were you doing in Paris?" Neal asked as he walked with his father. Lawrence chuckled "I was scouting a place that I thought would be interesting but there is just too much trouble." He said walking down the sidewalk with his son.

"I should have known" Neal mumbled as they walked to the corner of the street. Lawrence chuckled "You would have enjoyed the view of the river from the park where I was sitting. The house was quite a place as well." Lawrence said as a black car pulled up to the curb.

Sighing softly Neal got into the back of the black town car he gave a small smile when he saw his mother. "My poor baby, come here" Natalia said pulling Neal into her arms. "Well you never have to get your heart broken again."She remarked holding her son close. Neal stayed in his mother's arms for the rest of the trip.

When they arrived at the small mansion Neal smiled at his mother as he was led into the overly decorated mansion. "This place hasn't changed much in since I was here last." Neal said as he looked around the front room. He saw various paintings hanging on the walls, many of them were real stolen paintings and some had been recreations that Neal had painted when he was bored.

"Neal, honey do you want to tell me everything that happened?"Natalia said staying close to her son. Neal forced a smile on his face "I fell for the wrong person again and I got my feelings crushed." he replied keeping the false smile on his face. Thinking about Peter made his heart ache, the harsh words spinning in his head. "Knowing Peter he's going look for me but not because he wants to…he made it very clear that he never wants to see me again." Neal added as he felt his mother hug him again.

Without warning the tears started to fall "Oh don't worry sweetie mommy will take care of that agent for good." Natalia said as she sat on a couch with Neal. "No, mom you're not going to do anything to him, Peter might have broken my heart but please just leave him alone." Neal said pulling away.

Lawrence took a seat across from the couch. "You come here and expect us not to help you, Neal you came to us wanting some type of help." Lawrence said looking at his son.

Neal sat up " I came here because there is nothing left for me in New York, you know that plane ride took a lot out of me I think I'm just going to go lie down for a while" Neal said as he got to his feet. Neal could feel hunger gnawing at his insides; he hadn't eaten since the day before. Even though his body was telling him to eat, Neal couldn't eat he walked away from the sitting room and headed up the elegant staircase to the second floor.

When Neal arrived in his old room he removed his coat and shoes and climbed into bed. He grabbed the blankets and pulled them over his head. Neal wrapped his arms over his stomach as he tried to ignore his insides. _I wonder if Peter even feels bad for what he said to me _Neal thought sighing softly.

* * *

Peter was having trouble sleeping every dream that came into his subconscious made him sit up in bed. Knowing that he wasn't going to be getting anymore sleep Peter got out of bed and made his way downstairs. He turned the television on and began channel surfing, after a few minutes Peter found an old black and white movie. With nothing else on other than infomercials at three in the morning he decided to stick with the movie till the morning news came on at five.

After fifteen minutes Peter forgot what the movie was about as he began to drift off to sleep again, when he forced his eyes open he saw the movie's credits rolling up the screen. Not bothering to even keep his eyes open any longer Peter let sleep take over.

At half passed seven Peter woke to Satchmo barking in his ear as the front door opened. Elizabeth walked in with her sister's help. "Oh dear, sorry honey" Elizabeth said smiling at her husband looking very ruffled at the noise.

"What are you doing home so early?" Peter asked as he got up from the couch and helped Elizabeth sit down.

Elizabeth smiled at her husband. "Well my sister showed up after six and we went out to an early breakfast then we came here so I could rest." Elizabeth said as Peter fluffed her pillow. "Peter, go to work and talk Hughes into letting you go after Neal. I'll be fine here now get going your already late." Elizabeth said with a smile.

Peter looked at the clock and sighed "I promise I'll come home for lunch" Peter called as he ran upstairs to dress for the day. In a matter of minutes Peter ran down the stairs and grabbed his keys off the table. Walking over to Elizabeth he gave her a quick kiss before heading to work.

When Peter got to work the chatter in the office died on the spot Jones walked up to his friend. "Hughes is looking for you, and fair warning Tyler Bell from Interpol is here as well." Jones said glancing at their boss's office where the two men were waiting.

Letting out a loud sigh Peter pulled in a deep breath, agent Bell was one of the agents whose toes Peter had stepped on in Canada when he was searching for Neal when he had been kidnapped. "He doesn't look too happy to see me…"Peter said as he clapped Jones on the shoulder as he walked by and up to Hughes's office. When he got into the office Peter stood there.

"Burke, you really can't seem to keep that pet con of yours on his leash. So how did he escape anyway? I really thought you had Caffrey wrapped around your finger or so I've heard." Tyler said with a smirk.

Peter held his tongue there was truth in what the other agent had said, there was or had been a part of Neal that was wrapped around his finger just like there was a part of him wrapped around Neal's finger.

Hughes looked at the two men in front of him "A runaway con isn't on the top of the Interpol to-do list." Reese said as he looked at Peter. "Also there is just no funding to send an agent out of the country, I'm sorry to have to drag you down here Tyler, tell Jen thank you for the preserves she sent last month." Hughes said as he led the agent out of the office.

When the older agent returned he looked at Peter "Neal is an escaping felon and I believe you have some vacation coming up next week…might I suggest going to Paris or possibly somewhere in the south of France" Hughes hinted. Peter caught on right away. "I see that might be nice… I think I will take that vacation next week." Peter assured as he left the office.

* * *

Neal walked around the small patio the view from where he was standing was very nice but it didn't make up for June's place. The view of the vineyards was very nice but he missed the sounds of the city. Having been in France for a week Neal began to get homesick, the coffee and the view was one thing but New York had Mozzie, June and Elizabeth it also had Peter.

"It's been a week and he still hasn't shown up… maybe he really wanted me to leave" Neal mumbled to himself as he held onto the mug of coffee he brought outside with him. It wasn't as good as June's coffee but it was just as fancy. Life outside of his two mile radius back in the United States was starting to lose its edge. Neal loved his mother and he tolerated his father, but it just wasn't enough.

He wanted his heart to race again like it had when his friend, partner and lover walked into a room. The small secret brushing of Peter's arm against his when they were in the car or the elevator. Neal put the coffee mug down on the small table and sat down and looked at the back lawn, he could hear the horses in the distance and the faint noises of the city streets.

Natalia walked out and sat beside her son "Honey you need to stop walking around like the living dead and get over it. If he hasn't come for you by now I doubt he ever will." She said putting a comforting hand on her son's hand.

"You don't know Peter like I do, he never gives up on me he never has and he never will." Neal defended as he got up from his seat. "Neal, I want you to stay around the house, your father called from Paris and said there is a stir up in police movement and he said there are more Interpol agents around than ever."Natalia said as she held her son's hand.

Neal gave a sad nod, he knew his mother was worried about him but to Neal it was feeling like he was being held against his will on the property. _Peter you sure are taking your time getting here. That is if you're even looking for me._ Neal thought as he pulled his hand free and walked back into the house to be alone.

* * *

Peter walked out of the Paris airport right away he was in shock at the view in front of him

"Agent Burke…I thought I recognized you from your picture" A voice said from behind Peter.

Turning around Peter found himself face to face with a badge "Agent Felix Bronson, Interpol I was told that you would show up after your run away pet."Felix said chuckling as he put his badge away. "Tyler was sure you were going to hop a plane the day he was in New York, but officially you're on vacation so try not to get into trouble I wouldn't want to arrest you." Felix said.

Peter chuckled as he hitched up his on his shoulder "Oh don't worry I'm just going south to pick up a lost pet to bring home." Peter said as he walked away from the other agent and hailed a cab.

Felix walked up behind his American counterpart "Just be careful and here you are, I have your train tickets you'll need them" Felix said handing Peter his and Neal's ticket. "Thanks, you guys aren't so bad I guess" Peter said as he got into his cab.

When he got to the train station Peter was able to get into a seat before the train took off. _This is going to be a very long ride…_Peter thought as he got comfortable.


	4. Chapter 4

**((this chapter is more slashy than some of the others, I love reviews remember I don't any of this other than the characters I made that is my disclaimer.)) ((FYI, I reposted chapter three cuz I forgot to put breaks and someone pointed out a mistake, so people I'm not trying to get more people to read this I'm just trying make it easier to read, so please lay off with being rude)**

**Chapter 4: Saving Bonds**

By the time Peter got off the train it was the middle of the afternoon, making his way to the hotel he got his room key and made his way up to the second floor room.

After opening the door Peter collapsed onto his bed in his room he decided to get some rest before making his way to the house. _I can't believe that I'm so close; I'm sure going to have to apologize quite a bit. I doubt Neal will forgive me the very first time I try to apologize to him. _Peter thought as he allowed himself to drift between conscious and unconscious world.

After a couple hours of unsuccessful sleep Peter changed into a turtleneck shirt and pants, the weather was cool in Bordeaux. When he was changed Peter grabbed his key card and wallet before leaving the hotel and walking down the sidewalk, the afternoon may have been cool but it was too nice a day to ride in a car through the small area of the city where his hotel was.

Lauren had picked a hotel that was on the edge of the city when Peter had finally been able to hail a cab he handed the driver the address. When the cab pulled up in front of the house Peter knew he was in the right place, the place was large, over priced and just screamed art thief home.

Peter paid the cab driver and made his way slowly up the front walkway. Upon reaching the front door he gathered his courage and knocked on the door.

In his mind Peter was planning on what to say to whoever opened the door, when the heavy wood door opened Peter felt his carefully planned out thoughts fly out of his head. Standing before him was Neal with a stunned look on his face. In the week they had been apart Neal had decided to nix shaving and keeping up his trademark brush backed hair that was styled with perfection, it looked as if Neal had just rolled out of bed.

"Sorry I took so long to get here." Peter said with a sheepish smile on his face. Neal stood there for a moment as he looked at his former partner. "So that's all you're going to apologize for?" Neal asked keeping his distance.

Keeping his eyes downcast Neal forced himself to look at the agent "Just go away Peter… if you don't know what to say then just go." The younger man said leaning against the door frame.

There was a part of Neal that was overjoyed to see Peter standing outside the front door but when he heard him apologizing for taking so long to get there it wasn't what Neal wanted to hear from him.

Peter took a small step forward. "Neal, come on we should get back home" Peter said as he took another step closer. Neal took in a deep breath as he was cornered against the door frame. "I said go home Peter, you got what you wanted I left you alone." Neal said coldly as he managed to worm his way past Peter.

Reaching out quickly the agent grabbed the other man by the arm and pulled him back into place. "If you noticed I didn't wait for you to call with any request for me to come find you." Peter said keeping the other man's arm in a strong grip.

Neal turned his head and looked into Peter's eyes he tried to show that he wanted to be free from the FBI but he was failing greatly. Chuckling softly Peter kept his hold on Neal's arm. "I'm not going to let you run and hide in bed." He said with a chuckle.

"I don't hide, I…just lay in bed for a while" Neal defended as he tried to keep the barrier around himself up so he wouldn't be hurt again. Peter rolled his eyes "Fine you don't hide, but I've only got four days New York time to get you back to the city, that's all the time I have of vacation." He said.

Neal broke the grip and walked back into the house his back facing toward Peter "Well then do some sightseeing and don't waste your time here" He said closing and locking the door.

Peter stood there looking at the wooden door, something was missing it was something he said or didn't say that made Neal stay behind. When Peter finally got back to his hotel room he grabbed his phone and called Lauren and Jones when he couldn't get a hold of them he called home.

"How is it going honey?" Elizabeth asked over phone, sighing loudly Peter kicked his shoes off. "I don't know what is wrong with him. I said I was sorry for taking so long to get there and he looked like he wanted to avoid me like the plague." Peter said unsure of what was going on with Neal.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes it surprised her sometimes that Peter had ever managed to figure her out sometimes. "Well Peter you said some very harsh things to him, you have to apologize to him and not just tell him to come with you." She said with a smile.

Wanting to smack his head against the wall Peter began to remember the scene in the hospital when he told Neal to leave. "Thanks honey, I'll be home in a few days and hopefully with Neal." Peter said before he hung up and walked out of his hotel room and went to the restaurant in the lobby.

As he took his seat Peter tried to clear his thoughts, every time he was left to his own thoughts his mind kept floating back to the hospital where he had yelled at Neal. _Now that I actually think about it and listen to what I said to him I see why he ran so far away from me._ Peter thought as his waiter came up to his table. After ordering dinner Peter was left to his thoughts again, he attempted to come up with ways to apologize to Neal.

* * *

When he finally decided to call it a night Peter went back to his room, he noticed that the door was open slightly. Walking into the empty room Peter found a letter on the small table. Upon opening the letter Peter learned that it was from Neal's mother.

"An invitation to lunch tomorrow that sounds suspicious" he mumbled to himself as he changed out of his day clothes. After climbing into bed Peter rolled around a few times trying to get comfortable. Peter finally fell asleep when he was comfortable.

The FBI agent woke the next morning to a soft breeze move over the back of his neck. Sitting up in bed Peter saw that the window was wide open, when he saw that nothing of his was missed he laid back down and rolled onto the other pillow and hugged it close. It was then he realized the other pillow had the distinct scent of high end oil paint, and something Peter could never put his finger on. The scent was almost like fresh cut pine and roses with the slightest touch of honey mixed together.

It was at that moment Peter realized that Neal had been lying in his bed for quite some time for the scent to be still there. _He climbed in the window and then he left after spending however long he did._ The agent thought as he looked at his alarm clock which read twenty after nine. Wanting at least another hour Peter pulled the blankets back over himself and closed his eyes.

As soon as it was safe Neal poked his head out of the bathroom and gave a sigh of relief. _I meant to just sneak in and watch him sleep for a few minutes but I ended up crawling into bed and falling asleep._ Neal thought as he slipped out of the bathroom and crept slowly toward the window. He avoided the creaking floorboard as best as he could without alerting Peter.

"Neal…did you really think I wouldn't know you were still here?" Peter asked his head still buried against the pillow. "I was kind of hoping that you would be in a deep sleep and wouldn't notice." Neal said chuckling.

Peter looked up at the con, he was clean shaven again but his hair looked even more like a rock star than before it was down to his shoulder and showing more curl than ever. "How did you manage to sneak in here without me noticing?" Peter asked propping his head up with his hand.

The young man sat down by the window just in case he needed to make a quick getaway. "After we saw each other yesterday I couldn't get over the fact that you actually came after me... Especially after you told me to leave you and Elizabeth alone, I did that I left you alone and now you're here to bring me back. I think you should make up your mind" Neal said. "As for how I got in here, the security in this place isn't very good I was able to just walk right in." he added with a charming smile.

"I don't want you to stay here, I want you to come home with me because…damn" Peter was cut off by a knock on the door he knew the only person who knew he was there was sitting across the room from him. Reaching under his pillow he found his gun missing. Turning his head Peter saw Neal crossing his legs and leaning back in his seat.

Neal smirked "Calm down it's just the turn down service and don't worry about your gun I moved it to your shoulder holster." Neal said pointing to the holster hanging from the edge of the chair on the other side of the table as he got up and opened the door and whispered in French to the maid. Peter looked at Neal "I thought you hated guns?" he questioned.

"I do hate guns; that's why I moved it so you wouldn't shoot me by accident. I've been shot enough in my life." Neal said putting his right hand over his left shoulder as he walked back to the chair he had been sitting in. Peter got out of bed and started to mill around the room as he looked for new clothes. "Care to explain the mood swing, yesterday you wanted me gone and today you're breaking into my hotel room and watching me sleep." Peter remarked as he pulled a new shirt out of his bag.

A moment of silence passed, Peter thought that Neal had left; when he turned around he found Neal just watching him like a cat thinking things over. "I wanted you to get away for your own safety… and let's just leave it at that." Neal said in a serious tone.

Peter sat on the edge of the bed "Neal before I didn't get to say what I wanted to say. I'm sorry for what I said at the hospital. I was scared and angry and I took it out on you, I didn't mean what I said about you being a bad luck charm or a two bit con." Peter apologized as he looked down at the floor.

Neal was at a loss of what to say to Peter then he began to laugh softly. "I see you spoke to Elizabeth. I glad she showed you the error of you ways. Even though you should have come up with it on your own I'm glad you finally apologized." He said running his hand through his hair. "I wanted to apologize earlier but you ran away so suddenly it took some time to track you down." Peter remarked as he pulled his gaze up.

The curtain fluttered in the silence. "Peter… are you going to come to lunch? I think my mother really wants to see my reason for liking you" Neal said with his charming pouting smile that he rarely used. Peter bit his lip.

"On one condition Neal… you come home tomorrow to New York with me" Peter requested. Neal smiled "yes, I'm starting to miss my life back there" he said as he pulled Peter into a small kiss. The spark that he had always felt for the agent erupted into fireworks. Not being able to hold back Peter practically threw Neal onto the bed.

* * *

Peter pulled Neal closer the faint scar from the bullet wound on Neal's shoulder always made the agent feel guilty that he didn't find Neal soon enough to keep it from happening. Peter traced his finger over the small scar. Neal kept his eyes closed for a moment as he enjoyed the soft touch.

"You should have been home an hour ago." Peter said looking at the clock over Neal's shoulder. Giving a very loud sigh Neal sat up in bed he knew the other man was right. "Peter how long would I go to jail for when we returned to the city?" Neal asked in a very worried tone.

The FBI agent thought for a moment "I don't know, you ran away and left the country while still under probation. I won't even guess since it would only get your hopes up." Peter said as he sat up beside Neal and let the younger man rest his head against him.

Neal moved away from Peter and grabbed his clothes that were scattered around the bed. "I almost didn't survive in jail last time and that was a four year stretch." He said as he put his wrinkled clothes back on.

Grabbing Neal by the arm Peter pulled him back onto the bed. "I'll do whatever I can to keep you out of jail I promise." He promised with a kiss. When he released Neal the younger man was at a loss for words for a moment. As soon as his brain started to work again Neal smiled as he pulled away. Picking up his own clothes Peter dressed and walked out of the bedroom after Neal.

As they walked down the hall to the elevator they got into the elevator when it stopped at the lobby the doors chimed open. Peter and Neal walked out of the hotel and walked down the sidewalk. When they arrived at the large mansion Neal looked at Peter.

"Just be careful" he said softly as he opened the door. Peter wasn't shocked when he saw the paintings and furniture. In the living room Neal's father was waiting for them "Neal…agent Burke, it's nice to see you again." Lawrence said as he put his hand gun down on the armrest of the chair.

Peter eyed the gun; Neal looked at his father "I've decided to go back to New York with Peter. I need to get back I'm starting to get homesick" Neal said. "What is also good is removing the object of someone's homesickness."Lawrence said as he picked up his gun as he stood up, not waiting he pointed it at Peter and pulled the trigger. Neal stood frozen to the spot it was like a bad dream.

Neal caught his partner when he began to fall as he helped him carefully to the floor he lifted Peter's gun and turned toward his father. He could feel his sense of all rational thought snapping like a twig. Neal's entire body shook as his finger twitched over the trigger. Glancing down at Peter, Neal saw he was still breathing.

When the elder male Caffrey took a step forward Neal turned toward his father; gun ready. One part of Neal wanted his father wanted to pull the trigger out of pure hate the other knew what would come of it. Letting his sensible side out Neal lowered the gun and kneeled beside Peter to help him.

"I always knew you were too weak to pull the trigger" Lawrence said as he came up behind Neal and stood over him his gun pointed at the two men below him. Neal kept his head down as he kept pressure on Peter's gunshot wound with his free hand. Peter groaned softly and opened his eyes. "Neal is much stronger than you think, he resisted shooting you." Peter said as he forced himself to sit up. "If I was in Neal's position I would have put a bullet in you already" he said breathing heavy.

Neal began to worry the other man was looking paler by each passing second. "At least this time you get to say goodbye, I wonder how poor Kate felt when she died all alone, how you can live with yourself is a mystery to me." Lawrence said false sympathetic tone.

Before he could stop himself Neal was on his feet pulling the trigger, keeping his finger down Neal felt the automatic fire of the gun the spent shells hitting the floor with a clatter. When the clip was empty Neal dropped Peter's weapon. He didn't even notice his mother lead him from the room.

* * *

When Peter began to wake up he opened his eyes he found Jones and Lauren looking down at him "What are you two doing here?" he asked looking around. Lauren smiled

"It's good to see you awake. Elizabeth sent us she was really worried when she heard you were shot." Lauren said as she took a seat beside the bed.

Jones stood there "So what happened, all we know is that you were shot." He said looking at his boss. Peter sat up and looked around the room "Where's Neal?" Peter asked looking around the room.

"He's sitting in the other room, He was found alone in the foyer, both you and his father was found unconscious yesterday, Neal's father was touch and go for a long time but he survived also." Jones said taking his seat on the other side of the bed.

Lauren sat back in her seat "When we got here we went to see Neal, he didn't even notice us really the report we received said he had some PTSD and that when he had to be sedated for a while. The local Leos said that Neal was being held for now pending a full interview with you since Neal isn't talking, his father won't talk to the police and you're the last person they need to talk to is all. We got Neal out of jail; he wasn't going to get any better in a jail cell." Lauren said as she filled her boss in on everything that had happened.

Peter sighed "I should have made Neal just leave with me after he came to the hotel to speak to me. He wanted to spend one more night with his parents before leaving and I walked him home. I knew something was wrong when I was invited to lunch" Peter said rubbing his forehead a bit.

Jones stood up and excused himself, when he returned to the room he had Neal with him. The young man looked like he hadn't slept all night. "Can you two give us a moment? I need to talk with Neal" Peter asked. The other agents took the hint and closed the door behind them as they left.

Neal stood by the foot of the bed, Peter pushed himself over a bit to make room when he was settled he patted the space beside him so Neal could sit down. Moving cautiously Neal sat on the edge of the hospital bed.

"It's going to be okay Neal; you did what you had to do to save my life and yours." Peter said trying to comfort the other man.

"I shot him; I shot my own father Peter… I'm going to jail for this… I can't go back Peter" Neal said softly his rich blue eyes were brimming with tears. Peter ignored his pain and pulled his partner into his arms. "Forget about that for now, I'm just glad you weren't hurt Neal… we don't need both of us in the hospital. Why don't you stay here for a while and get some rest." He whispered letting Neal put his head down on his shoulder.

Neal wanted to let the tears fall but they seemed frozen at the edges of his eyes. "When I saved your life in Canada, before you pulled that crazy stunt do you think I wanted to shoot Briarcroft? I did but I was worried that I was going to hit you by accident. Then when you ended up hurt I thought he had shot you so I let that anger take over and I shot him in heart, he was dead before he hit the ground. I took a lot of flak for not bringing him back alive but in the end Hughes agreed that my actions were sound. "Peter said remembering the reprimand he had gotten.

"How close did you come to losing your job? Neal asked softly. Peter looked at the other man "Very close, Hughes had to pull a lot of strings with the guys in Washington to keep that from becoming and international incident. The final report said that I acted as I should have in the situation." He said with a chuckle.

* * *

Lauren and Jones returned to the hospital room the moment they stepped into the room they noticed a change in Neal he didn't seem as down as he had been when they got him out of the county jail. "I called home while we're getting coffee, Hughes wants us back soon… all of us even you Neal" She said with a small smile.

"Turns out since you ran while under probation you still belong to the FBI; But there is one small problem…you're temporarily going back to jail for three months and that is a reduced sentence if you agree to testify in court against your father… if not you go back to jail for up to six years." Lauren added as she started to hand out the coffee.

Neal looked at the cup in his hands, the heat was seeping though the cup and turning his hands red. "I guess that means I'm testifying." Neal said looking up with a smile.


	5. Chapter 5

**((You know the drill; I don't own this except for the characters I made up, this is most likely the last chapter so enjoy please) **

**Chapter 5: Locked Bonds**

Peter walked into his house and removed his coat and hung it on the coat rack "El you here?" he called as he walked into the living room.

"Welcome home honey, how did court go today?" Elizabeth asked walking into the living room smiling Satchmo following behind her. Peter sighed as he fell into the nearest chair. "Neal did really well he answered all the questions and he gave a lot of information. When he was back in jail I went to visit he told me that he really misses us" Peter said rubbing his dog's head.

Elizabeth smiled. "Is he at least eating? You said it looked like he dropped some weight after the first couple weeks he was there." She said taking a seat on the couch.

Peter sighed "He looked a little thin, but not bad and look at the bright side Neal will be home soon his three months are almost over. I told him that you want him over for dinner the first night he gets out."Peter said putting his feet up on the coffee table.

"He accepted the invitation right away; he said that he can't wait, with only a month left it will go by fast and he'll be back to doing what he does" he added putting his head back on the back of the couch.

* * *

Mozzie stood in the visitor's room with Neal "How could you give them every single passport even the ones you never used. Now you're really stuck, how do you know that the FBI won't leave you here forever? They can do that you know, one toe out of line while you're in here or after your release and no more second chances." Mozzie said as he paced the room.

"Calm down Moz, it's not that hard to stay out of trouble, I just have a tendency to attract trouble from time to time. I've never actually gone searching for trouble… well not when I was a free man and not working for the FBI" Neal said as he ran his fingers through his hair again.

"I only have a month left and then I'm back to my old life with an extra limitation, like calling in from June's every night at a seven p.m. curfew." Neal said with a smile.

The older man just huffed as he threw his arms up. "I'm going to leave now; I'll be back on Tuesday to visit and try to stay out of trouble this weekend." Mozzie said as he sat back down.

After their meeting Neal stood up and walked back to his cell, when he got there he made another tally on the small sheet of paper hanging on the wall. Neal sat down on his bed and looked at the wall, with his limitations there was nothing else to do.

_One more month…I'm starting to miss working on mortgage fraud cases even…_Neal thought as he picked up a notepad and pen off the small table. Soon the pen was scratching over the lined paper. After a few strokes of the pen an image began to take shape.

The drawing had begun to look like something he wanted to paint later on for Elizabeth since she had asked him for some paintings.

* * *

"I heard you were back in prison Caffrey." A voice said from outside Neal's cell. Neal didn't even have to look up from his notepad. "I was wondering when you were going to come around."Neal said finally looking up at his blue collar counterpart.

Keller only chuckled "I've been busy in solitary for awhile. I heard you shot someone and here I thought you were the kind of guy who never fired a gun." He said resting his arm across the bars of the cell to lean forward a bit.

Neal put the notepad down on the small bed "Go away Keller, unless you're here to make me miserable." Neal said

The blue color criminal chuckled "Oh it wouldn't take too much to make you miserable Caffrey; I'm here to say that I'm sorry about Kate, I heard about what happened. She was an amazing woman." Matthew said tapping the bars of the cell with his finger.

"What do you want? You don't suck up to someone unless you need something from them." Neal said standing up and walking to the open doorway of the cell. Matthew Keller was a man that Neal knew not to trust for any reason.

Matthew chuckled "You know me all too well, didn't you escape from this prison once before?" Keller asked already knowing the answer. "Well I want out and I need to know what you know about this place, you're famous for escaping here right under the guard's noses I want all the details." He said shifting his weight a bit.

Right away Neal knew the first thing he was going to tell Peter when he came to visit "I won't do it…you can figure all that out on your own like I did when I slipped out." Neal said as he turned away. Before he could step away Neal felt Keller grab him by the back of his orange jumpsuit.

Neal took a step backward from the tug on his shirt collar. "Let me go Keller, there is nothing you can say or do that will make me help you escape from here." Neal said looking over his shoulder as far as he could. Keller chuckled as he let his counterpart go.

"There, now either you help me or everyone finds out your big secret… It was pretty easy to figure out that you're sleeping with that FBI agent" Keller said smirking at the shocked look on Neal's face. Neal froze on the spot he knew he and Peter had worked hard to keep their relationship hidden from the people they worked with or went after.

"How did you find out about us, Peter is going to kill me" Neal said not realizing the words that slipped from his lips.

Matthew overheard the other con and laughed "You slept with Burke? I was thinking more that woman he works with him but not him, this is even better." Keller said with a louder chuckle as he released Neal's clothes walked away and into his cell leaving his counterpart behind.

Neal sat down on his prison issued bed and let his head fall into his hands. When he was sure that no one was around Neal slipped a cell phone out of his pocket.

He wrote a short text message to Peter to tell him to visit the next morning as early as possible. After sending the text Neal put his phone back in his pocket. _I wonder if I should tell Peter the truth or lie to him about why I wanted to see him._

* * *

Peter pulled his phone out of his pocket and raised his head to read the message "Looks like I'll be visiting Neal tomorrow." Peter remarked as he looked at Elizabeth. "Haversham slipped him a cell phone for emergency use only. So he either has information to give me or he's done something he isn't supposed to."Peter said as he put his phone away.

"So what emergency does Neal have that he needs to see you so early in the morning?" Elizabeth asked as she pulled her feet under her. Peter shrugged his shoulders "I can never tell with Neal but it must be something important I was just there a couple hours ago." Peter said putting his phone away.

Elizabeth reached over and began to pet Satchmo's head. "Well give him my love when you see him." she said smiling. Peter nodded and began to flip channels as he tried to find something to watch.

"Don't worry, he probably misses you since he has nothing to do other than draw and pace his cell. Remember you put him on restricted movements the only time he ever gets to leave his cell are for his meals and visits and during his free time he is chained to a guard." She said.

The agent got up from the couch and walked into the kitchen when he returned with a beer he sat on the couch. "El… do you remember when you told me to accept Neal's flirtations as a way for him to listen to me more." Peter said as he twisted the top off the beer bottle in his hand.

"I remember honey, are you trying to tell me that you have slept with Neal?" Elizabeth asked with a smirk as she watched Peter choke on his beer. When he cleared his throat Peter coughed once more "How did you know?" He asked putting his beer down on the coffee table.

With a smirk that could rival the Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland Elizabeth sat up "As the wife of a FBI agent I know just about everything…besides Neal told me last week when he called during my day off." She said.

Peter sat shell shocked for a moment, thousands of thoughts buzzed in his head. "What did you say to him?" Peter asked. Elizabeth moved from the chair she was sitting in to sit by her husband on the couch.

"At first I was a little upset but then I realized that he isn't doing this to come between us, you were there for him through everything that he's been through in the last year, his kidnapping and being held hostage, Kate's death, the nightmares he had and the anxiety. It may have started as just flirting but you were a challenge to him like he was to you when you were first going after him. I told Neal that I accepted what is going on between you two under two conditions... one he has to paint me a couple original paintings and three he can't keep you for more than two days and one night if you stay with him." Elizabeth said leaning back against the arm of the couch.

After a few moments Peter nodded in agreement. "I wanted to tell you but maybe it was better that Neal told you, especially over the phone. It was safer for both of us." Peter said with a chuckle as he pulled Elizabeth into his arms. "Dinner tonight will be your choice; we can have Italian or Chinese." Peter said as he pulled his wife closer.

Elizabeth smiled sweetly "Italian of course you know it's my favorite." she said curling up closer.

"Why don't I get the wine out while you order the take out? Do you want white or red wine?" Elizabeth asked. "White it goes better with Italian." Peter said as he moves from the couch and made his way to the kitchen to get the take out menu.

When Peter finished ordering the take out he returned to the living room and sat back down on the couch. "Why do you want Neal to paint some original paintings?" Peter asked as he put his arm around Elizabeth.

"Well you said that Neal should have an outlet for his talents so I thought that if he paints me a few paintings it will keep him from doing other things of an illegal nature. Besides I need some new artwork for the shop and at home." Elizabeth said curling up closer.

Peter sighed "well as long as the paintings aren't replicas of any famous paintings then it should be fine." He said as he picked up the remote and changed the channel back to the game.

* * *

The next morning when Peter walked into the prison he went through the usual channels of searching and x-rays. When he received his visitor's badge he began walking down the long hallway to the visitor's room. As he got halfway down the hall he stopped when he heard his name being called by the prison doctor.

Peter knew that it had to have been more nightmares, it had happened before, Dr. Young had told him that being back in prison made Neal's nightmares resurface. In the first couple months of Neal's incarceration he had to be sedated once for his nightmares, one time during a nightmare he ended up needing stitches when fell off the small bed.

"Agent Burke I'm glad I caught up with you, I wanted to tell you that Caffrey is once again in the infirmary. Don't worry it's nothing serious, it was the nightmares again he was moved for his own protection. He was sedated but just enough to help him sleep he should be awake soon" The doctor said as he led Peter into the large white walled medical room.

Neal was sitting up in bed fast asleep, Peter walked over and pushed a few free floating strands of hair. After a few minutes Neal's eyes began to slowly open.

"Hey Peter, oh I'm back in the infirmary again I'm guessing it was another nightmare. I'm sorry… you forgive me right?" Neal asked smiling.

"Neal…what did you do this time."Peter remarked at the con. "Peter would you still visit me even if our work arraignment is terminated?" Neal asked locking eyes with Peter his blue eyes showing his worry.

Peter stood up "Neal, if you don't tell me what's going on right now I swear I'll leave you here and never contact you again" Peter said leaning in closer showing Neal he was very serious.

"It's Keller; he knows about…things personal things… very secret personal things so things that I may have let slip by accident." Neal said dropping his voice to the lowest whisper. Leaning back so he was standing tall Peter looked at the con as he took a deep a breath to keep calm.

"What big dark secret does Keller know, you talk in your sleep or you sleep with a night light?" Peter asked with a small chuckle. He stopped speaking when saw the look on Neal's face.

Neal looked away for a moment before speaking. "I might have accidently let our secret slip" he whispered his mind fuzzy from the sedative still. It took all of Peter's strength to keep his face calm. "Don't worry about; I'll take care of everything."Peter remarked giving a smirk that always sent a shiver down Neal's spine.

Peter looked around "You just stay out of trouble you have three more weeks in here, even you can stay out of trouble that long can't you?" Peter asked as Neal climbed out of bed wobbling slightly as the last of the drugs lingered in his system.

"I can do it with my eyes closed Peter, if I can spend four years without getting into trouble than three weeks is nothing" Neal said with a smirk as he walked toward the guard that was waiting for him that would take him back to his cell.

* * *

Three weeks later Peter was standing outside the prison on a cold cloudy morning the warm cup of coffee in his hand was doing little to combat the cold breeze whipping around him. Neal was finally being released from prison for a second time. The weeks in both men's opinions couldn't come fast enough.

Neal strolled out the prison compound a heavy wave of déjà vu struck him as he saw Peter standing there waiting for him with the same look on his face that he had when he first picked Neal up from prison.

"Don't worry Peter they put the anklet on before I left" Neal said as he pulled up his left pant leg showing off the gaudy piece of technology.

Peter chuckled "Good, I didn't really want to hand cuff you to the headrest of the car for the entire drive back to June's" he remarked as Neal walked up to him. "Come on, I'm freezing and everyone is waiting for you so let's go I want to miss any morning traffic."Peter said as he climbed in his car.

Neal smiled as he got into the agent's car "You're in a good mood, what is there some big art show that you want knock over tonight?" Peter asked as he turned the key in the ignition.

"No, I'm happy that I'm out of there and Keller's appeal was denied when a tip came in saying that he was planning to escape jail." Neal said relaxing in the passenger seat for the ride home to June's.

As Peter parked his car he grabbed his keys and climbed out of the car with Neal. "I'm going to take a guess that you were the one that tipped the prison off to the escape plans." Peter said as he walked up the short flight of stairs with Neal.

The con smiled "I may or may not have said something to someone about his possible plans of breaking out."Neal remarked as he opened the front door and saw his friends waiting for him in June's well furnished living room.

"Welcome home Neal…" Peter said as he closed the door behind him.

Neal felt his smile grow wider as he took the glass of champagne that he was offered. "I would like to make a toast, to everyone here who has stuck by me through everything. I would just like to say thank you." Neal said holding his glass up with a smile. Everyone smiled and held up their glasses to the toast.

As the small party came to a close Neal looked at the others standing around him. Everyone loved him; they were more of a family to him than his real family ever was. Neal walked over to Elizabeth and hugged her close "Thanks for everything you have done for me" Neal said softly as he let his partner's wife go.

"You're all like the family I never had and I promise I won't get into too much trouble anymore, only when I need to when I'm asked by the FBI." he said laughing.

((Thanks for reading and this is the last chapter everyone I hope to start another story soon so keep your eyes peeled))


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